Sydney Kings star Kendric Davis has taken to social media in a stunning rant after he was pipped of the NBL’s MVP award by just two votes.

Adelaide 36ers’ blockbuster recruit Bryce Cotton claimed the Andrew Gaze Award for the third straight season, and for the sixth time in his career, as Davis received runner-up honours in back-to-back seasons.

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Cotton received 96 votes to Davis’ 94, meaning if just one person changed their vote, it would have been a tie.

The pair of point guards led their respective teams to the top two spots on the NBL ladder, and there was very little between their individual statistics.

Cotton averaged 25.7 points per game compared to Davis’ 24.4, but the latter was more efficient, shooting at 48 per cent from the field compared to 44.

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Davis also led the rebounds 3.9 to 3.6, but Cotton led assists (7.6 to 6.7) and steals (1.8 to 1.1).

Regardless, the Kings’ American import felt as if he was robbed.

In an Instagram Live video, the 26-year-old took aim at long-time NBL commentator John Casey and wanted to know who each member of the voting panel awarded their vote to.

“They got John Casey. I love John Casey but John Casey on this, like c’mon bro,” Davis said.
“Let’s see who voted for who. So we know what is going on like the NBA.

“All I know is you put my stats up against his stats and take our faces off, and tell the NBA to vote on who should win MVP, I guarantee I come out on top.

“Guarantee but not a go.

“I don’t really even care. I’m just speaking on it because if it ain’t spoke on, they gonna sweep it under the rug. So, you gotta speak on it.

“Don’t tell me about ‘rook’ no more. ‘Rook’ is fake. Man, two straight.

“They didn’t want me to win it from the get go. They didn’t want me to win MVP from the get go. Trust me.

“Why do you think at the beginning of the year all they did was post, the NBL post said I’m a bad teammate and all this and that.”

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Earlier on Monday night at Melbourne’s Crown Palladium, Davis also shared his outrage with The Daily Telegraph.

“He (Cotton) won a popularity contest,” Davis said.

“They found every reason not to give it (the MVP) to me.

“It’s all political.

“I am going to call out some of this sh*t.

“I want it to be fair.”

When asked about Kendric Davis’s social media rant at this morning’s NBL finals press conference, Cotton chose not to escalate the situation.

“I was too busy paying for everybody’s drinks, so I didn’t catch everything that was said. Sorry about that.”

MVP Votes are cast by each club’s head coach and the captain (or one of the captains if the team has co-captains).

The coach’s vote is viewed as representative of the coaching group, while the captain’s vote is viewed as representative of the playing group.

The NBL’s rules state that you cannot vote for a player from your own club.

Kristian Doolittle of the Perth Wildcats and South East Melbourne Phoenix’s Nathan Sobey shared third place in the voting as they tied on 59 votes.

Davis and the Sydney Kings will be back in action next month when they take on the winner of the play-in games in best of three series for a spot in the grand final.

The Kings will take on one of the Phoenix, Wildcats, Melbourne United or the Tasmania JackJumpers.

Cotton and the 36ers will face either the Phoenix or the Wildcats in the other best of three series for a grand final berth.